cwilleford.miamiblues-第14部分

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　　Later；　bars　of　moonlight　came　through　the　slanted　vertical　Levolors　and　made　yellow　bars　across　Freddy's　hairless　chest。　Susan；　in　a　shorty　nightgown；　snuggled　close　to　him　and　used　his　extended　right　arm　as　a　pillow。　Freddy　chuckled　deep　in　his　throat　and　then　snorted。
　　〃Remember　that　haiku　the　teacher　wrote？〃
　　〃Not　exactly；〃　Susan　said。
　　〃〃The　Miami　sun。　/　Rising　in　the　Everglades。　/　Burger　in　a　bun〃。　That's　what　I　was　laughing　at。　Now　I　know　what　it　means。〃
　　
　　
　　8
　　
　　There　was　a　middle…aged　man　sitting　in　the　glass…walled　office　with　Sergeant　Bill　Henderson　when　Hoke　arrived　in　the　squad　room。　Hoke　checked　his　mailbox　and　then　signaled　his　presence　to　Henderson　with　a　wave　of　his　arm。　Henderson　beckoned　for　him　to　e　over。　Henderson　got　to　his　feet　and　smiled　as　Hoke　crossed　the　crowded　squad　room。　Most　of　Henderson's　front　teeth　were　reinforced　with　silver　inlays；　and　his　smile　was　a　sinister　grimace。　Hoke　and　Bill　had　been　working　together　for　almost　four　years；　and　Hoke　knew　that　when　Henderson　smiled；　something　horrible　about　human　nature　had　been　reconfirmed　for　his　partner。
　　Hoke　cracked　open　the　door。　〃I'm　going　down　for　coffee；　Bill。　I'll　be　right　back。〃
　　〃I　already　got　you　coffee。〃　Henderson　pointed　to　the　capped　Styrofoam　cup　on　Hoke's　side　of　the　double　desk。　〃I　want　you　to　meet　Mr。　Waggoner。　We've　been　having　an　interesting　little　chat　here；　and　I　know　you'll　want　to　hear　what　he's　got　to　say。〃
　　Hoke　shook　hands　and　sat　in　his　chair。　〃Sergeant　Moseley。　I'm　Sergeant　Henderson's　partner。〃
　　〃Clyde　Waggoner。　I'm　Martin's　father。〃　The　man　from　Okeechobee　was　wearing　a　white　rayon　tie　with　a　blue　chambray　work　shirt；　and　khaki　trousers。　There　was　a　thin　nylon　Sears　windbreaker　folded　over　his　left　arm。　He　had　short　brown　hair　with　shaved　temples；　the　kind　of　haircut　they　call　white　sidewalls　in　the　armed　forces。　His　skin　was　sallow；　but　it　was　blotchy　in　places　from　long　exposure　to　the　Florida　sun；　and　there　were　scars　on　his　nose　and　cheeks　from　debrided　skin　cancers。
　　〃I　suppose　you　came　for　your　son's　effects；〃　Hoke　said；　unlocking　his　desk　drawer。　〃Sorry　I'm　a　little　late　this　morning；　but　I　had　to　drop　off　some　dry　cleaning。〃
　　Mr。　Waggoner　looked　down　at　his　scuffed　engineer　boots；　made　a　goatlike　sound　in　his　throat；　and　began　to　cry。　The　sound　was　softly　muffled；　but　the　tears　that　came　down　his　blotchy　cheeks　were　genuine。　Hoke　directed　a　puzzled　look　at　Henderson；　and　his　partner　broadened　his　brutal　smile。
　　〃Just　tell　Sergeant　Moseley　the　same　story　you　told　me；　Mr。　Waggoner。　I　could　summarize　it；　but　I　might　leave　something　out。〃
　　Mr。　Waggoner　blew　his　nose　on　a　blue　bandanna　and　stuffed　the　handkerchief　into　his　left　hip　pocket。　He　wiped　his　cheeks　with　his　fingers。
　　〃I　can't　prove　nothing；　sergeant；　as　I　told　Sergeant　Henderson　here。　All　I　can　tell　you　is　what　I　think　happened。　I　hope　I'm　wrong；　I　surely　do　hope　so。　My　business　is　bad　enough　already；　and　a　scandal　like　this　could　make　it　worse。　Okeechobee's　a　small　town；　and　our　moral　standards　are　a　lot　different　up　there　than　they　are　down　here　in　Miami。　You　know　what　they　call　Miami　up　in　Okeechobee？〃
　　〃No；　but　I　don't　suppose　it's　plimentary。〃
　　〃It　ain't。　They　call　it　Sin　City；　Sergeant　Moseley。〃
　　〃Are　you；　perhaps；　a　man　of　the　cloth？〃
　　〃No；　sir。　Software。　I　got　me　a　software　store　in　Okeechobee。　I　sell　video　games；　puters；　and　rent　out　TV　sets　and　movies。〃
　　〃My　father　owns　a　hardware　store　in　Riviera　Beach；〃　Hoke　said。
　　〃He's　smarter　than　me；　then。　What　I　had　in　mind　when　I　opened　the　store　was　a　puter　business　for　the　mercial　fishing　on　the　lake。　The　government　sets　quotas；　you　see；　and　I　figured　if　the　fish　houses　had　puters　they　could　always　prove　exactly　how　much　fish　they　caught　and　all　that。　Plus　they'd　know　when　they　was　falling　behind；　and　so　on。　Then　last　year；　when　the　lake　went　down　to　nine　feet；　the　government　stopped　mercial　fishing　almost　altogether。　No　nets　allowed；　you　see；　so　all　the　fish　houses're　just　about　out　of　business　now。　Besides；　nobody's　buying　puters　up　there　because　there　ain't　no　programs　written　up　for　lake　fishing　anyway。〃
　　〃So　you're　just　about　out　of　business；　right？〃
　　〃Oh；　no…I'm　doing　all　right。　But　I　borrowed　money　to　expand；　and　the　interest　is　hurting　me。　My　movie　rental　club　alone　pays　my　rent　each　month；　but　I'm　in　pretty　heavy　to　the　bank；　you　see。　But　I　ain't　here　to　talk　business。　What　I　was　telling　Sergeant　Henderson　here　is　that　I　suspect　foul　play。〃
　　〃What　kind　of　foul　play？〃
　　〃That　was　no　accident　that　killed　Martin。　That　was　murder。〃
　　〃If　so；　it's　the　first　of　a　kind。〃
　　〃Let　him　finish；〃　Henderson　said。　〃There's　more。〃
　　〃That's　the　best　kind；〃　Mr。　Waggoner　continued；　〃the　kind　that　looks　like　an　accident　but　really　ain't。　I've　seen　it　on　'The　Rockford　Files'　more　'n　once；　and　if　it　wasn't　for　Jim　Rockford；　a　lot　of　people'd　get　away　with　it；　too。〃
　　〃What　makes　you　think　your　son's　death　wasn't　an　accident？〃
　　〃I'd　really　rather　not　talk　about　it　because　it's　so　painful　to　me；　as　a　father；　you　see。　But　I'm　also　a　good　citizen；　and　justice；　no　matter　how　harsh；　must　be　done。　Even　to　kith　and　kin　。　。　。　〃　He　started　to　cry　again；　softer　this　time；　and　reached　for　his　handkerchief。
　　Hoke　took　the　plastic　lid　off　his　coffee　and　sipped　it。　It　was　cold。　〃When　did　you　get　this　coffee？〃
　　〃I　got　in　a　little　early　today；〃　Henderson　said。　〃But　I　didn't　know　you'd　be　a　half…hour　late。〃
　　Hoke　replaced　the　plastic　lid　and　dropped　the　cup　of　coffee　into　the　wastebasket。　He　lit　a　cigarette；　took　a　long　drag；　and　butted　the　cigarette　in　the　ashtray　as　he　allowed　the　smoke　to　trickle　out　through　his　nose。
　　〃So　you　think；　Mr。　Waggoner；〃　Hoke　said；　〃that　this　unidentified　assailant　who　broke　your　son's　middle　finger　killed　him　on　purpose？　Is　that　right？〃
　　〃That's　about　the　size　of　it。〃　Mr。　Waggoner　blew　his　nose；　examined　his　handkerchief；　and　then　put　it　back　into　his　pocket。　〃I　think　the　man；　whosoever　he　was；　was　hired　to　do　it。　That's　what　I　think。〃
　　〃The　chances　of　killing　a　man　that　way　are　pretty　remote；　Mr。　Waggoner。　I　doubt　if　more　than　one　man　in　a　thousand…　I　don't　know　the　actual　statistics…would　die　from　a　trauma　to　his　finger。　It　would　be　pretty　stupid　to　hire　someone　to　kill　anybody　in　that　manner。〃
　　〃You　might　be　right　about　that。　But　if　a　man　was　hired　to　injure　somebody　on　purpose；　and　then　that　person　died　because　of　the　injury；　wouldn't　that　be　a　murder　for　hire？〃
　　〃A　case　could　be　made　for　that；　I　suppose。　Except　for　a　thousand　unidentified　passengers　a　day　who　don't　like　Hare　Krishnas；　who　hated　your　son　enough　to　hire　someone　to　break　his　middle　finger？〃
　　〃That's　what's　so　painful　to　me。〃　Mr。　Waggoner　sighed。　〃I　think　my　daughter　hired　him。〃
　　Hoke　took　the　morgue　identification　form　out　of　his　notebook；　unfolded　it；　and　placed　it　on　the　desk。　〃Susan；　the　daughter　who　identified　the　body？　Or　do　you　have　another　daughter　in　mind？〃
　　〃No。　Susan's　the　only　daughter　I　got。　And　Martin　was　my　only　son。　None　of　us　got　along　too　good；　I'll　admit　that；　and　I　sent　her　packing　when　she　got　pregnant。　But　Martin；　even　though　he's　the　one　that　done　it　to　her；　was　my　only　son；　and　she　shouldn't've　had　him　killed。　Susan's　just　like　her　mother；　who　was　no　good　either；　so　I　know　she　talked　Martin　into　doing　it　to　her　in　the　first　place。〃　Mr。　Waggoner　lowered　his　voice　and　his　head。　〃Men　are　weak。　I　know　that　because　I'm　weak　when　it　es　to　women　myself。　We　all　are；　even　you　two　gentlemen；　if　you　don't　mind　my　saying　so。　A　woman　can　make　you　do　anything　she　wants　you　to　do　with　that　there　little　hair…pie　they've　got　between　their　legs。　I　know　it；　and　you　know　it；　too。〃
　　〃Let　me　get　this　straight；〃　Hoke　said。　〃Your　own　son　impregnated　his　sister；　your　daughter；　Susan；　and　then　Susan　hired　someone　to　kill　him　for　revenge。　Is　that　right？〃
　　〃That's　right。　Yes；　sir。〃
　　〃And　where's　the　baby？〃
　　〃Susan　had　her　an　abortion　here　in　Miami。　I　gave　her　eight　hundred　dollars　when　I　sent　her　down　here　to　get　it。　You　can　check　that　out　easy　enough；　and　Martin　went　with　her；　telling　me　he'd　e　back。　He　never　did；　though。〃
　　〃Are　you　positive　Martin　wa